Two Public Servants Earn Respect

Our Towns

Windsor Locks

March 14, 1996

Windsor Locks Town Engineer Mario Gatti deserves a break. After 68 years of dedicated service in his part-time post, Mr. Gatti is trying to prod the town into phasing in his replacement. As Mr. Gatti tries to pass on decades of knowledge, the town should be willing to budget the extra money necessary to keep him working while someone is learning his job.

Mr. Gatti, who is 89, knows where the pipes are and who put them there. He can connect building problems to poor workmanship decades ago. He cares enough to want to make sure the town continues to benefit from that expertise.

Officials are considering hiring an outside firm on an hourly basis to replace him. That would make the increased expense easier to bear. Mr. Gatti's part-time salary is $5,000. A firm under contract costs about $30,000 in many towns; a staffer even more.

Sadly, the town will be losing the long vision of someone who has watched businesses grow, highways get built and Bradley airport turn into an international facility. That's irreplaceable.

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When a politician admits a mistake instead of stonewalling, taxpayers are the winners. Windsor Locks First Selectman Victor Puia's willingness to publicly apologize for charging lunches as business expenses and possibly violating Freedom of Information laws shows his regard for the responsibilities of his offfice.

In a letter publishes in The Courant, Mr. Puia said he was embarrassed and sorry, and would strive to make sure the mistake never happens again. He also paid back the town.

The disputed amount was only $74.90. But preserving the public trust is worth far more.